On November 29th, 2016 at the MedPAN Forum on Marine Protected Areas held in Tangier (Morocco), The Science of Marine Protected Areas-Mediterranean Version report has been officially presented. This global scientific synthesis about marine protected areas (MPAs) demonstrates that MPAs provide ecological, economic, and social benefits to the Mediterranean region. However, because many MPAs in the region are not enforced and fully protected areas account for only 0.04% of the Mediterranean, the report concludes that the region could benefit from enhanced compliance and enforcement of existing MPAs, as well as expansion of the area in fully protected status.
The report is the outcome of a two-year, international project that engaged scientists, policy experts, and MPA managers to investigate the scientific evidence regarding MPAs. The effort was funded by The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Total Foundation, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the French "Agence des Aires Marines Protégées", Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas (RAC-SPA), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Oregon State University, and the Network of Marine Protected Area Managers in the Mediterranean (MedPAN).